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Realized Master Plan
eginning in 2006 and throughout 2007, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation museums marked the 400th anniversary of the founding of America’s first permanent English settlement with new state-of-the-art facilities and museum exhibits, major special events, historical themes and educational programs. This was the culmination of a 10-year planning process in which the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation initiated and realized an $80-million comprehensive facilities master plan and engaged in a successful collaboration with local, state and federal partners to commemorate America’s 400th Anniversary. While providing for exhibit enhancements at the Yorktown Victory Center and a centrally located complex to house functions supporting both museums, the master plan focused primarily on preparing Jamestown Settlement, which opened in 1957 as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s setting for the 350th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, to serve as a principal stage for the 400th anniversary and transforming the museum for the 21st century. Paid and complimentary visitation at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation museums totaled 1,129,574 in 2007.
B The riverfront discovery area highlights 17th-century travel, commerce and cultural exchange, reflecting Powhatan Indian, European and African traditions. This new permanent interpretive area debuted at Jamestown Settlement in 2003.
A 50,600-square-foot complex located midway between Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center completed in late 2004 houses functions that support both museums.A new introductory film, 1607: A
Nation Takes Root, premiered in October 2006 in conjunction with the opening of Jamestown Settlement’s new permanent exhibition galleries.
New re-creations of the Godspeed and Discovery, two of the three ships that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607, were built for exhibit at Jamestown Settlement. The Godspeed (left) was dedicated in May 2006 and the Discovery (above) in February 2007.
Jamestown Settlement’s 143,000-square-foot visitor services and gallery complex was built in four stages, culminating with the permanent gallery wing. The Discovery Tower next to the building is the only architectural feature remaining from 1957. The 30,000-square-foot permanent galleries opened in October 2006, presenting the story of 17th-century Virginia in the context of its Powhatan Indian, English and African cultures.
The new Jamestown Settlement galleries provide a setting for one of the most varied collections of objects relating to the nation’s beginnings in 17th-century Virginia. The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation collection has been developed with private funds and includes objects representative of the cultures that converged in 1600s Virginia.
Yorktown Victory Center exhibit enhancements were completed in October 2006 and include a revitalized gallery entrance, with dramatic images of the Revolutionary War period, a renovated Declaration of Independence Gallery and a new long-term exhibition, “The Legacy of Yorktown: Virginia Beckons.”
A new building representing the Anglican church in early 17th-century Jamestown was dedicated in March 2007. The building is part of a renovation of the fort based on current archaeological and documentary research.
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, Jamestown Settlement was rededicated on April 24, 2007, at the museum’s new Quadricentennial Plaza.
A Paspahegh site found archaeologically a few miles from Jamestown in the 1990s served as the model for a reconfiguration of Jamestown Settlement’s re-created Powhatan Indian village.
Special Events
The voyage of Jamestown Settlement’s new Godspeed along the East Coast from May through July 2006 launched the 18-month commemoration of America’s 400th Anniversary. A bon voyage event was held at Jamestown Settlement on May 22, 2006, to mark the beginning of the sail, which was coordinated by the Jamestown 2007 organization. The Godspeed was accompanied by a Landing Party Festival at each of six ports – Alexandria, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Newport. Visitors could tour the ship, enjoy live music, family entertainment, historical exhibits and interactive displays, and learn about Virginia destinations.
Continuing its central role in America’s 400th Anniversary, the Godspeed sailed to 14 Virginia ports in 2007 and led the event-opening parade of sail for Norfolk’s Sail Virginia 2007.
The 225th anniversary of the winning of American independence was celebrated in Yorktown October 19-22, 2006, with military re-enactments, patriotic ceremonies, live performances, cultural events and interpretive programs at the Yorktown Victory Center, Yorktown National Battlefield and Riverwalk Landing. A new long-term exhibition, “The Legacy of Yorktown: Virginia Beckons,” opened at the Yorktown Victory Center.
On November 9, 2006, Jamestown Settlement was the venue for Jamestown Live!, a webcast for students presented by Jamestown 2007 in partnership with The History Channel. Moderated by Gwen Ifill of National Public Television, the program included interviews with historical and cultural experts and pre-recorded vignettes at Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne.
“The World of 1607,” a signature event of America’s 400th Anniversary, opened April 27, 2007, at Jamestown Settlement. The one-year exhibition placed Jamestown in a global context and was presented in four distinct cycles, each with its own topics and iconic artifacts from national institutions and private collections.
In the first event of the 400th-anniversary year, the Virginia General Assembly convened at Jamestown Settlement on January 10, 2007, for Governor Timothy M. Kaine’s State of the Commonwealth address.
United States Mint Director Edmund C. Moy was at
Jamestown Settlement on January 11, 2007, for a ceremony announcing the issue of gold and silver commemorative coins in honor of
Jamestown’s 400th anniversary. Later in
the year, NASA presented the Jamesown-Yorktown
Foundation a set of the coins that had been flown aboard the Atlantis space shuttle.
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The Royal VisitMay 4, 2007
The royal visit at Jamestown Settlement included remarks in the museum’s re-created colonial fort by U.S. Vice President Richard B. Cheney and America’s 400th Anniversary Honorary Chair Sandra Day O’Connor and a dramatic presentation, developed in partnership with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, that chronicled the history of the relationship between Britain and America over the past 400 years. The Queen toured several buildings in the fort while the Duke of Edinburgh toured the Susan Constant. Both observed students engaged in museum education programs.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, came to Jamestown Settlement on May 4, 2007, as part of a two-day visit to Virginia, with stops at the state capitol in Richmond, Colonial Williamsburg and Historic Jamestowne.
Special Events
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The Royal VisitMay 4, 2007
The arrival of the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery on May 12 was a highlight of America’s Anniversary Weekend events at Jamestown Settlement. After sailing in the James River, the replica 1607 ships began docking at mid-morning amidst musket fire, cannon salutes and commentary. Two weeks prior to Anniversary Weekend, the three ships were off First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach for an event marking the 400th anniversary of the 1607 colonists’ first Virginia landfall, at Cape Henry.
Jamestown Settlement’s visitor parking area was transformed into a gateway to the three America’s Anniversary Weekend venues – Anniversary Park, Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne – and served as the arrival point for shuttle transportation to and from satellite parking areas and Historic Jamestowne. Jamestown Settlement hosted a record number of visitors for a three-day period.
A first-day-of-issuance ceremony for the U.S. Postal Service “Settlement of Jamestown” stamp was held at Jamestown Settlement on May 11. The three-sided stamp – only the third in U.S. Postal Service history – represents the triangular fort built by the Jamestown colonists and depicts the three ships that brought them to Virginia in 1607.
America’s Anniversary Weekend May 11-13, 2007
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America’s Anniversary WeekendMay 11-13, 2007
On May 13, President and Mrs. George W. Bush had a
private tour of Jamestown Settlement’s Susan Constant
and enjoyed interpretive demonstrations at the ships’
pier prior to an appearance at Anniversary Park.
Special programming at Jamestown Settlement during America’s Anniversary Weekend included music and dance performances, first-person portrayals of key figures in 17th-century Virginia history, traditional African storytelling, and presentations on various Jamestown historical topics. Visitors could participate in guided tours of the museum’s exhibition galleries and in ongoing demonstrations on agriculture, food, technology, weaponry, seamanship, trade, recreation, religion and government in the outdoor interpretive areas.
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Jamestown 2007’s Syndicated Television Special
Thematic special events took place at Jamestown Settlement throughout the anniversary year. Among them were “African Imprint Day” on June 2, co-sponsored by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Virginia African American Forum; “The 1619 Assembly: A Jamestown Legacy” on August 4, commemorating the 388th anniversary of the first legislative assembly in British America; and “Virginia Indian Heritage Day” on November 3, presented in partnership with the Virginia Indian community.
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The 2007 Heritage Lecture Series featured six distinguished scholars speaking at Jamestown Settlement on a range of historical and cultural topics: Peter Armstrong, Joseph Miller, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jack Rakove, Michael Beschloss and W. Richard West, Jr.
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Special Events
From spring to fall in 2007, interpretive programming at Jamestown Settlement was enhanced with additional guided tours of the museum’s exhibition galleries and outdoor areas and regularly scheduled demonstrations and presentations on more than 30 different topics, ranging from agriculture to religion. Throughout the anniversary year, guided tours and demonstrations at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center emphasized a different theme each month.
ProgrammingOn-Site
Innovative educational programming was a key element of the 400th-anniversary commemoration. On-site and outreach student programs, Web-based curriculum materials, and public television and radio broadcasts complemented and extended the learning experience presented at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center.
The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation is the leading provider of structured museum education programs in Virginia, and in the 2006-07 academic year service levels grew by 28 percent on site and 47 percent in outreach. Outreach programming took place in all of Virginia’s 132 school districts, and Jamestown-related programming was taken to schools and community venues in the Baltimore and Philadelphia areas.
The Foundation partnered with WCVE Community Idea Stations in Richmond to produce a series of “Quadricentennial Minutes” for television and radio and with WHRO Public Broadcasting for Hampton Roads to develop a television documentary, Jamestown: Founding of America, and electronic classroom, Discovering Jamestown.
“Quadricentennial Minutes” and Discovering Jamestown were among a variety of curriculum materials made available on the Foundation Web site www.historyisfun.org along with lesson plans, background essays and video biographies.
EducationalPrograms
Media Coverage2006-2007
Beginning with the Godspeed Sail in 2006, commemorative events and new museum exhibits attracted print and broadcast media coverage on a national scale. Organizations worked cooperatively to maximize public awareness of Virginia’s important role in the history of the nation.
ScenesBehind the
More than 1,500 paid and volunteer staff contributed to the success of the quadricentennial commemoration. The number of paid staff peaked at 600 during the anniversary year. Volunteer roles ranged from board service to interpretive program support, and nearly 1,000 volunteers contributed 74,653 hours in 2007.
The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation worked with local, state and federal partners to realize the full potential of the Jamestown quadricentennial for bringing national and international attention and economic benefit to the region and state.
With 48,000 ticketed guests participating in America’s Anniversary Weekend in May, Jamestown Settlement hosted a record number of visitors for a three-day period. Paid and complimentary visitation at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation museums totaled 1,129,574 in 2007, a 46 percent increaseover the previous year. Visits to the www.historyisfun.org Web site increased by 40 percent to 1,371,970.
Historic Triangle Host Committee
n important legacy of the Jamestown
quadricentennial is a new standard for
exhibits and programs at Jamestown Settlement
and the Yorktown Victory Center. The spirit and
momentum of America’s 400th Anniversary carries
forward into 2008 and beyond through the
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation’s continuing
commitment to stimulating on-site programs,
educational outreach and dynamic content on the
www.historyisfun.org Web site.
A
The Honorable Vincent F. Callahan, Jr., Co-ChairmanThe Honorable Thomas K. Norment, Jr., Co-ChairmanThe Honorable H. Benson Dendy III, Vice Chairman
Ms. Suzanne O. Flippo, SecretaryThe Honorable M. Kirkland Cox, Treasurer
The Honorable L. Ray Ashworth, Chairman Emeritus
Ms. Mary Frances BaileyMs. Jeannie P. Baliles
The Honorable Vincent F. Callahan, Jr.Ms. Diana F. Cantor
The Honorable H. Benson Dendy IIIMrs. Sue H. GerdelmanMrs. Marjorie N. Grier
Mr. Conrad M. HallMr. J. Roderick Heller III
Mrs. Jane T. KaplanMr. Kenneth M. Krakaur
Ms. Martha D. MarksMr. Robert W. Martin
The leadership and support provided by members of both boards, private donors, and federal, state and local partners during 10 years of planning toward 2007 is gratefully acknowledged, along with the contributions of past Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation chairmen, the late V. Earl Dickinson, the late Richard J. Holland, Stuart W. Connock, L. Ray Ashworth, the late Hunter B. Andrews and the late Lewis A. McMurran, Jr.
Philip G. Emerson, Executive DirectorLaura W. Bailey, Executive Assistant to the Boards
Susan K. Bak, Senior Director of Marketing & Retail Operations Joseph A. Gutierrez, Jr., Senior Director of Museum Operations & Education
J. Jeffrey Lunsford, Deputy Executive Director of Administration Carter S. Sonders, Chief Development Officer
Produced by the Marketing & Retail Operations Department, Deborah L. Padgett, editor, and Ruby Y. Gardner, graphic designer.
Mr. A. Marshall Acuff, Jr.Mr. Frank B. Atkinson
Ms. Mary Frances BaileyThe Honorable William T. Bolling
Mr. William P. ButlerThe Honorable John H. ChichesterThe Honorable Stuart W. ConnockMrs. Shirley Custalow-McGowan
Mr. Thomas A. DePasqualeMs. Ann Parker Gottwald
The Honorable H. Morgan GriffithThe Honorable Phillip A. Hamilton
The Honorable Frank D. Hargrove, Sr.Mr. A. E. Dick Howard
The Honorable Janet D. HowellThe Honorable William J. Howell
Mr. John S. MolsterMr. Joseph W. Montgomery
Mr. J. Robert MooneyMr. Lloyd U. Noland III
The Honorable Thomas K. Norment, Jr.Mr. Carroll W. Owens, Jr.
Mr. Harry A. PearceMr. John W. Rosenblum
Mr. Thomas D. Rutherfoord, Jr.Mr. Carlton A. Stockton
The Honorable Charles B. WalkerMr. F. Jay Ward
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
BOARD OF TRUSTEESMembers Who Served in Calendar Year 2007
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc.
BOARD OF DIRECTORSMembers Who Served in Calendar Year 2007
Mr. A. Marshall Acuff, Jr., PresidentMrs. Elizabeth D. Camp, Senior Vice President
Mr. Charles A. Banks III, Vice PresidentMr. Jack L. Ezzell, Jr., Secretary
Mr. George L. McCabe, Jr., TreasurerMr. Reginald N. Jones, Immediate Past President
The Honorable Johnny S. JoannouMs. Sheila C. JohnsonMr. Reginald N. Jones
Professor Ervin L. Jordan, Jr.The Honorable Timothy M. Kaine
The Honorable Robert F. McDonnellMs. Linda R. Monk
Mr. Nigel W. MorrisThe Honorable Thomas R. MorrisThe Honorable Kenneth R. PlumThe Honorable Harry R. Purkey
The Honorable Frederick M. QuayleThe Honorable Melanie L. Rapp
Dr. Daphyne S. ThomasThe Honorable John C. Watkins
Mrs. Laura R. Wright
7M:2/08
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundationan educational institution of the Commonwealth of Virginia
accredited by the American Association of Museums
P. O. Box 1607 Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-1607
(757) 253-4838 Toll free (888) 593-4682
www.historyisfun.orgCover photo of Queen Elizabeth II at Jamestown Settlement: L. K. Emerson